


Torn Cloth

by Yesserect



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28314819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yesserect/pseuds/Yesserect
Summary: His tunic has had a tear on it for as long as he's had it. It's never bothered him until now, when some part of his brain says that he's not finished in Rito Village.
Relationships: Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 102





	Torn Cloth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IdioticCanadian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdioticCanadian/gifts).



It had snowed last night. That was what Link had assumed, anyway. Rito Village seemed to get more snow every night he spent there. It had become routine for him. A few days ago, Link had wrested Vah Medoh from the Windblight's control and had freed Revali. Link should have moved on. He had saved the village, and there were still two more Divine Beasts.

  
And anyway, there wasn't much of a reason to stay. He would just spend his days at the Flight Range practicing his archery with Teba, or else at the top of the spire, sitting alone, thinking. He was glad that he was alone up there. Well, really more glad that Revali couldn't talk to him. A hundred years of being stuck on your Divine Beast after being defeated and dying didn't hurt your ego, apparently. Link just hoped that the other two Champions wouldn't be like him. He _should_ leave. Revali probably wouldn't want to be faced with the sight of him.

  
But something kept him there. Some nagging part of his brain told him to stay in Rito Village, that there was something there he was forgetting. He had combed the entire area, but still hadn't gotten any trace of any new memories. Just Revali's speech about his own greatness. It seemed like an endeavor doomed to fail, but he stayed, trying to figure out what it might be.

  
The wind sent a chill up Link's arm. He had been wearing his sky blue tunic—the weather hadn't justified snowquill yet, but he was considering it. One one shoulder, there was a tear in the fabric, running down the sleeve. It had been like that when Impa had given it to him. Considering what the Calamity must have been like, it was a miracle that it wasn't in worse condition. There were times when Link thought about what might have done it, and that had happened more often as he had come to Tabantha. The cold drew his attention to it more often.

  
Link turned back to the Flight Range. While he had started sleeping here, Teba probably wouldn't arrive with Tulin for another hour. He might as well get an early start. He was already a good archer, but he had missed a few times when they had taken down Vah Medoh's shields. And anyway, it would be enough to humble Revali. 

  
Why did his thoughts always take him back to the Rito Champion? He wasn't anything. He had only spoken to him in short bursts on Vah Medoh. As far as he could tell, their relationship before the Calamity was nothing more than a one-sided rivalry. Revali had let his own ego get in the way. And, well, look at him now. Link felt at least a bit vindicated by the fact that Revali had failed.

  
Taking the Great Eagle Bow off his back—another thing he did to spite Revali—he looked it over. It was still in good condition, nothing seemed worn or broken. The string was in good condition, the paint still stuck to it, and that bit of Revali's scarf tied around it still stuck to it as tightly as ever.

  
The wind gave Link another chill on his shoulder. Well, he might as well try to patch it up. He had cloth of the same color right here. Link carefully—too carefully—unwrapped the cloth from the bow, examining it. It looked to be the right size to patch it up, maybe a bit too small.

  
Applying it to his shoulder to test it, it fit perfectly. The jagged edges of the tear matched perfectly with those of the torn cloth. It seemed that the cloth had been the missing peice there. But how had it gotten onto the Great Eagle Bow? Had Revali and he fought, Revali taking it as a prize for his victory? No, their battles against the Windblight were enough to prove that Revali couldn't do that.

  
What if they _had_ had a relationship? Link might have been close friends with the Rito, but he wouldn't remember. Perhaps Revali's speech about his own greatness had only been playful teasing, not his true thoughts on Link. Maybe that was what he was missing. That he hadn't hated Revali. Or, while Mipha had intended for Link to be his future husband, Link didn't remember ever having feelings for her.

  
Maybe Link and Revali had loved each other and they would never know. Link thought the idea laughable, but to some part of him—the same part that had been nagging him to stay in Rito Village—it felt right. Like that was the answer that Link had been looking for.

  
But if they had, Link would never remember it. Not on his own. If it had happened, their relationship would be lost to time, Link having had the memory of it stripped away while Revali being left as merely a spirit on his Divine Beast. Link had sat up there for hours, had sometimes felt the brush of the breeze against his skin. Or was it the brush of ghostly feathers?

  
Link had thought that Revali would have hated him up there. Did he like it? Was he remembering the love that Link could not? Or was he saddened by it? Saddened by seeing his lover in this place, who barely remembered him. Only remembered him at his worst. Or was Link wrong about the whole thing? Had they truly been bitter rivals? Had Link read the situation correctly the first time?

  
So many questions with no way to answer them. Link would never be able to tell one way or the other. The Shrine of Resurrection had taken that chance from him. And it seemed that everyone else who might know was lost to him. Zelda had appeared only a few times as a faint voice in his head, King Rhoam had moved on, and everyone else who he thought might know had either died in the Calamity like Revali or hadn't told him.

  
Revali. He could still speak to Revali. Revali would know one way or the other. That was for certain. If they had been rivals, Link didn't worry about upsetting him any further. But if they had been close, Link needed to know. Link pulled out the Sheikah Slate and tapped a few buttons, watching the familliar blue light surround him.

  
The top of the basalt pillar was cold. Link should have brought snowquill up here. The wind roared around him, and Link could barely hear himself think. No matter. He could still sign to Revali. Link let the Slate recreate the wood and flint, then set it aflame. That would be enough to get his attention hopefully. Link turned his hands towards the Divine Beast. They were shaking nervously, the movements small and quick.

  
"Were we... close? Before the Calamity? Were we ever more than rivals?" he signed. He hoped Revali could see him.

  
Revali had seen him, but he couldn't respond. He had used much of his strength appearing to him after Windblight had been defeated. He couldn't so much as talk to Link. He had stepped out of the Divine Beast before, had tried to comfort him. But Link couldn't hear his words, couldn't feel the brush of his feathers against the Hylian's cheeks. Couldn't see or feel the ghostly feather that Revali had tied in his hair. Revali could not speak to Link.

  
Revali wanted to say everything. He wanted to tell Link about how they had bonded over their rivalry. He wanted to regale the story of when they had first fought together. He wanted to remember with Link the moment they had confessed their feelings for each other. Most of all, he wanted to say _I still love you, Link_. But he couldn't say a word. 

  
And so Link was left with only the roar of the wind.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays Nath!


End file.
